As the new technologies develop, more and more smart devices such as smart TVs, networked computers, tablet computers, digital media content servers and players, multimedia devices, etc, are being marketed in the recent years. Several communication protocols have been developed by related industries such that these smart devices may be easily managed and controlled. The communication protocols includes: Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA), Digital Signage Device RS232 Control Standard (POPAI), Machine to Machine (M2M), and so on.
The DLNA is responsible for defining interoperability guidelines to enable sharing of digital media between multimedia devices. DLNA uses Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) for media management, discovery and control. UPnP defines the type of device that DLNA supports (“server”, “renderer”, “controller”) and the mechanisms for accessing media over a network. The DLNA guidelines then apply a layer of restrictions over the types of media file format, encodings and resolutions that a device must support.
The Global Association for Marketing at Retail (POPAI) developed a Digital Signage Device RS-232 Control Standard for management of network connected digital signage display devices including electronic billboards, electronic signage displays, LCD, LED, plasma displays, or image projection devices commonly found in both public and private environments, including retail stores, hotel, restaurants and corporate buildings.
Machine to machine (M2M) refers to technologies that allow one M2M device to communicate to another device of same or similar capability through wireless and wired systems. M2M uses a device (such as a meter or camera) to capture an event (such as inventory level, alarm or emergency condition, etc.), which is relayed through a network (wireless, wired or hybrid) to an application (software program), that translates the captured event into meaningful information (for example, items need to be restocked, or ambulance or fire trucks to be dispatched). Such communication was originally accomplished by having a remote network of machines relay information back to a central hub for analysis, which would then be rerouted into a system like a remote management computer.
Most of these smart devices are commonly controlled or managed by network connected computers or servers, through the use of either proprietary or public domain software programs. However, these software programs are diverse and very difficult to manage and/or integrate. Many meters, sensors, and devices connected over wired or wireless networks require specific hardware and software to monitor supervise and manage. There is an associated cost for each individual device to be managed. On the other hand, IPMI protocol is used to manage various computer platforms and managing computer platform is very similar to the management of these smart devices. Therefore, if the IPMI technology can be expanded to the management of these smart devices, then the management of smart devices maybe accomplished by using existing IPMI technology to manage the smart devices by creating an IPMI Bridge Server to bridge the gap between IPMI and these smart devices.
Therefore, heretofore unaddressed needs still exist in the art to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies.